Nose
This wine has intense aromas of blackberry jam, black cherry, red plum and complex bouquet of vanilla, nutmeg, fennel, and cedar.
Palate
On the palette, bright dark berry flavors and supple acidity melt into a voluptuous mouthfeel while a hint of toasty, caramelized oak notes add another dimension to a refined finish.
Growing Conditions
The 2012 vintage was cooler than average in Sonoma County and allowed for along hang time in the vineyards, resulting in bold varietal character.
Bottling
Magnum, 1.5L bottle.
Winemaking
The grapes were hand-picked yielding intense fruit at the peak of flavor development. The grapes were then crushed into stainless steel tanks and cold soaked for 48 hours. Punch downs occurred three times a day during fermentation to maximize flavor extraction. We followed fermentation with 10 to 15 more days of extended maceration and then gently membrane pressed the wine off the skins. This produced a wine with remarkably soft tannins and eliminated the need for fining.
Aging
Barrel aging preceded in new French oak and 1-3 year old French and American oak barrels for 21 months.
